Identification & Testing

The purpose of identifying gifted and talented students is to ensure these learners receive gifted education services commensurate with their academic abilities and potentials.

Arizona is fortunate to have a law mandating gifted education services to students who score at or above the 97th percentile on a verbal, quantitative, and/or non- verbal battery of a state approved test. A district must offer testing three times a year. (ARS §15-779.02)

Programs and services to meet the needs of identified students vary from district to district and may include, but are not limited to:

Cluster class placement

Gifted self-contained classrooms

Pull-out programs

Acceleration in one or more subject areas

Flexible grouping within or between classrooms

Differentiated curriculum and instruction

Advanced placement classes

Honors classes

International Baccalaureate Program

For specific programs and services, a district may use additional data and information to screen students. Please check with your local school district for more information about the identification and placement process.

Teachers who work with gifted learners must be provided with professional development support based on a plan outlined within a school district’s Scope and Sequence for Gifted Education. Teachers whose primary responsibility is teaching gifted learners must have, or be working toward earning an Arizona Gifted Education K-12 Endorsement. http://www.azed.gov/gifted-education/teacher-resources/